Your Smile and Aging

Overall, credit should be given to teeth for their incredible durability. Once your baby teeth are lost, your adult teeth are what you’re stuck with for the rest of your life and they hold up pretty well with regular care. With the constant grinding and munching of food, plus the never ending battle against hungry bacteria looking to colonize your mouth, teeth have to put up with a lot. Moreover, enamel wears down with continuous exposure to acidic foods and becomes increasingly difficult for teeth to replace.

As teeth age alongside the rest of you, there’s an increased risk for fractures developing, exposing the soft dentin and inner pulp tissue to the elements. Root canals and tooth extraction procedures are much more common with older patients. As your gum line recedes with age, tooth roots become less stable and are more prone to damage. Those who had dental fillings done before the widespread use of fluoride and other modern dental treatments may find these fillings breaking down, leaving teeth open to infection. Finally, a once bright and shining smile may no longer have its original youthful sheen. Instead, your teeth now tell the story of all that you’ve been through with their stained and weakened enamel.

What’s the Best Course of Action?

As we’ve established, aging isn’t much fun. What can you do about these unfortunate side effects of aging on your teeth? Just like everyone else, a strict oral hygiene regimen is the best place to start. Regular brushing, flossing, and swishing with a fluoridated mouthwash does wonders at removing stains, strengthening enamel, and preventing inflammation of your gums.  These basic principles should not be discounted, so don’t use your grey hair as an excuse to not brush your teeth! If you’re having real difficulty handling a toothbrush, consider switching to an electric toothbrush or speaking with your dentist about other options. A whiter smile is also achievable through tooth whitening and bleaching, something you can also ask your dentist about. Finally, if all else fails, know that cosmetic dentistry has improved immensely in recent years. Getting dentures may simply be the best and most logical next step!

While it has its downsides, getting older is a blessing of a life well lived. Keep on enjoying a fulfilling life by taking good care of your teeth, or speaking with your dentist if the problems are too much to deal with. Centennial Smiles Dental is more than happy to take on new patients of any age! Reach us at (587) 317-7959 today!